Pizza Rustica Pasta

Which, I guess, is technically my own fault but in all fairness I wrap pie crusts in saran wrap and leave them in the fridge overnight pretty much biweekly and never have I ever come back to use them the next day to find them covered in unseemly white spots (differential diagnosis: pie herpes). Until now.

So there I was, fuming in the kitchen and mourning the fact that, not only did I waste 1/3 cup good quality olive oil on that damn crust, but this was going to be the perfect Easter recipe and I was going to be such a rockstar blogger by having it cooked and ready to post a week before Easter and now…now I was lost. And dazed. And confused. And totally not rockstar.

Not to mention that there was still the matter of dinner and I had one hungry boyfriend sitting at my kitchen table playing Family Feud on his phone and inquiring in-between rounds as to when we would be eating.

I almost slapped him. And then I almost threw the moldy pie crusts in his face. And then I almost shrieked NEVER!!!!!!!!!! at the top of my lungs in my highest pitched annoying girl voice that will take out an eardrum if you’re not careful.

And then…I made pasta. It was pretty rockstar.

And Easter-worthy, considering that The.Boy kept moaning and saying, “This really hit the spot, babe” the whole time he was eating.

So whether you’re in the middle of a pie crust crisis or not, I’m thinking this is the perfect dish to get on your table. It’s filled with three different kind of veggies – swiss chard, eggplant, and roasted red peppers – and is just a bit decadent with a super creamy sauce. All for under 300 calories a (large) serving. Do.it.

While water is heating up, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet and flatten with your hands. Broil until charred and black on the outsides. Place into a closed container for 5 minutes. Peel skin off and discard. Coarsely chop pepper flesh.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add chard to the pan and cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Place chard and bell peppers in a large bowl. Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining tbsp oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and soft. Add to the veggie mixture along with the ricotta, gruyere, parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Cook pasta to desired consistency according to package directions, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss with veggie/cheese mix, adding in half of the reserved water. Stir to combine, adding in more water as needed to create desired sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.

Okay…so now my mind is running rampant with other ideas. German potato salad pasta? Beer and brats pasta with fried eggplant? , still don’t fit in under 300 calories though, so this has to be sensational…*runs off to write under 300 cal recipes*

On that note I was slathering a bagel with cream cheese last week and noticed the bagel had mold on it. What? I had just bought it 2 days before, and none of the others had mold. It was the weirdest thing.

I am sorry to hear about the pie debacle, but I must say that this pasta does look like rock star pasta to me! I’m always a fan of roasted red peppers in pasta, so that’s certainly a bonus for me, too.

ok, look here Joanne! I am really picky about what I read, pin, pass etc. and since I found you, I feel like one of those retired folks always “forwarding”! I LOVE YOUR BLOG, your writing, your recipes and the overall vibe. Keep it up girl! I have become a clicking fool even considering a new Board on Pintrest just for you and recipes that I think my book club will love! Have a great day, know that you are appreciated and are bring joy to food lovers!

You’re not the only one to succumb to unintentional moldy food (someday, I’ll tell you about the energy bar incident). You saved the day with this incredibly creative pasta though – you’re a total rockstar, Joanne! 😉

Pasta is the perfect emergency food. I love the mix of veg, especially chard–so underrated. I also love the ricotta, although I’d be the only one eating it at our house. The whole dairy tolerance thing is such a pain. On the other hand, that means I get all the ricotta…

Hahaha – lol. Oh, the mishaps that are unavoidable in the kitchen. How many times have I come across something in my fridge that has gotten moldy when it was just fresh. Nowadays, the new thing my fridge likes to do is freeze everything in the back half – whether it be in the crisper drawer or not! Ugh. However, way to regain your rockstar-ness 🙂

Pie herpes…ha ha ha!! I know how you feel though, I recently opened a container of ricotta to find mold…gross!! Ah well, it happens right? At least you came of with a rockstar worthy dish. This looks awesome and sounds really filling 🙂

Ewww…pie herpes…poor boyfriend of yours…almost got a sick crust on his face 🙂Anyway, yes, the pasta does sure look like to rock…sounds and looks awesome Joanne.Enjoy your week and no more flying pie crust…

this pasta looks totally rockstar joanne! and yes, i understand how those days can be… those are the times when i question myself and my character. but, we are only human and wasting good ingredients on food gone bad is an excuse to act out. promise!

How would the pie crust have gotten moldy after one day in the fridge? That’s so weird, and also so frustrating! On the bright side, there’s still plenty of time before Easter, and this pasta will keep us very happy while we wait to see your beautiful pie 🙂

Nice recovery from that initial setback; I’d say that -you- are pretty rockstar, too. Moldy food does stink (no pun intended), but it’s still better to find out before making the pie than after, right?

We once had a curry go mouldy after a day or two on the stovetop in a share house (but the spices are meant to help it keep longer or maybe just cover up the mould!!!) so I understand your bewilderment at the pie crust going awry – glad you saved dinner – that is double rockstar 🙂

He has Greek genes my friend what did you expect? He would keep asking what’s to eat even if he saw you tearing your clothes from frustration haha! I think you did the right thing and fed him with this delicious pasta!

Pizza Rustica Pasta is looks very delicious! Everybody can enjoy when he make it. tell me about the process of cookikg…….you can choose very delicious dish and tell me the process of making Pizza Rustica Pasta.thanks!

Loved this post, although am sorry to hear about the pie crust. Also sorry I have not been around in a while–I am having problems with my rss feed, and, well, so I avoided it for a bit so as to not scream dire threats at my computer.